Packing for Various Regions of Long-term Travel in One Suitcase

In one month I was in Asia, Middle East, Europe, and Africa. That’s a lot to pack all in one rolling suitcase especially since I didn’t want to take a large one, and decided on a medium. Add in blogging gear, and I’m pretty limited on space/weight allowance. Here is my itemized list for packing for various regions of long-term travel in one suitcase which is what I did on my most recent trip.

Packing for Various Regions of Long-term Travel in One Suitcase

I started packing thinking of where I’d be first: Israel. Israel is pretty laid back so I didn’t think of it as “Middle East” like I did when I packed for Jordan. It was going to be hot though, while my next destination would be cold: England. From there I’d head to Latvia early October which would be even colder I imaged. BUT then I would head to Morocco, which is Muslim and more conservative, while also hot.

It sounds like a challenge but it’s actually not that hard if you think about layers. That is key!

Once I had it laid out, I decided I didn’t need the pink skirt and took it out. Normally I wouldn’t travel with more than 1 pair of jeans, but thought with England and Latvia being cold I might need them so I don’t have to keep wearing the same pair. I always thought the green ones would layer well under kaftans in Morocco.

Next I go to the tops.

I packed for tops:

3 black tanks, 1 white tank, 1 grey, 1 red

1 dressy crop top

2 cute tees

2 casual tees for travel days

3 long sleeve layering tops that I always travel with

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So the next step is to put pants in one packing cube and tops in another! I can then look and see what I’ve got and then work out how many dresses/rompers I should take. Normally, I actually think about my outfits but on a trip this big you can’t really think that way. It’s more about mixing and matching and layering to make new outfits.

I was going to pack two jackets but in the end went just for my leather jacket and am glad I did! I could have used the other just for some change, but it wasn’t necessary.

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Shoes are the easy part. Just put out what you want to take then start narrowing it down. I ended up with:

In the end this was fine although I could have fit regular flip-flops in and they would have come in handy at pools and beaches. I just went barefoot so it wasn’t an issue but I guess not everyone likes going barefoot! ;)

Swimsuits were next! I am swimwear crazy and actually wanted to take more than these 3. I brought a 1 piece because it’s good for the Dead Sea (more conservative) and it’s black which is good because the mud there stains.

Toiletries are the easiest bit since you know what you need! Just go through your nighttime and shower routine in your head and make sure you pack all the things you use. When I’m going long-term I just do the smaller bottles of shampoo and conditioner and buy more as I go to save weight.

So now it’s time to try and fit things in and add-on the dresses and rompers. I needed heels I realized last-minute because I have a wedding in London so that was a bummer since I would only wear them once.

Lastly, time to get the purse and carry-on sorted. I used a backpack as a carry-on as I didn’t want to have to roll 2 things on public transport in Europe. It’s a pain at rush hour.

I packed a large purse for my new camera/lens as they take up a lot of space and a smaller (new) black Fossil purse which I love traveling with.

Electronics for me aren’t TOO over the top… I take my computer & charger, phone & charger, Kindle, camera, lens, extra battery, camera charging set, external hard-drive & cord, SkyRoam WiFi dongle & cord (first time using and loved it except it didn’t work in Morocco), portable charger and cord. I threw in my sunnies, a few pieces of jewelry, and headphones. I guess it does sound like a lot! But it’s not too heavy.

extra wide-angle lens (I used to do only phone pics but just got this from from my Israel posts onward you’ll see a better quality photos!) This is a top ranked camera and I chose it after a LOT of research, plus it’s damn cute with it’s tan leather hipster look hah!

Ta-da! That’s it. You can see I still have some space for shopping and lucky for me, after London I could give Ben my heels and a few dresses to take back to Goa for me.

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Rachel Jones left a career in nursing and lived on the beaches of Goa, India for the five years. Now she lives in Mexico where she gives advice on the 40+ countries she’s visited in the last 10 years. She’s the author of two India travel e-books: Guide to India and Insider’s Guide to Goa. Her blog, Hippie in Heels, like its name, is a contradiction combining off-beat adventurous places with glamorous and bespoke travel. Hippie in Heels has been featured in ELLE, Marie Claire, Grazia, and Cosmopolitan magazines. She’s a writer for Bravo TV.